Under pressure over the issues of Iran and Israel at his Senate confirmation hearing, Obama's nominee for defense secretary caves in completely. Thursday's Senate confirmation hearing of Chuck Hagel was something out of Arthur Miller's "The Crucible," or the 1950s House Un-American Activities Committee sessions. "Senator Hagel, are you now or have you ever been a realist?" "Your soul is in peril, Senator - recant!" And Hagel recanted, over and over again. Under pressure on Iran and Israel (among other taboo subjects), he apologized to his inquisitors for referring to the "Jewish lobby" ("I should have said 'pro-Israel lobby'"), apologized…

Cutting-edge neocon group runs scare ad "It's Time to Act" in presidential election campaign. It doesn't get any more blatant than this: The Emergency Committee for Israel, founded by the aristocrats of the "Commentary crowd," the original Republican Likudniks, is now screaming for Obama to attack Iran.  ECI put out a press release yesterday announcing that "in light of yet another failed round of nuclear talks with Iran this week," its 30-second, scare-the-shit-out-of-'em ad, "It's Time to Act," which began airing last week in New York and Washington, is debuting this weekend in the November election's battleground states.  It's running "on broadcast and cable in Florida, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, with dozens of spots featured in major markets during Sunday shows,…